Over the past few weeks we've highlighted several Play Store sales that hit at the end of each week. Today, however, looks like a few devs decided to try middle-of-the-week sales, and we figured some of those may not make it to the week's end. So here it is – a short list of sales that are happening right now.

Time for a little history lesson. Way back in the summer of 2010, when smartphone screen sizes were still reasonable and people were still complaining about how hard it was to type on them, a little company called Swype Inc. thought it had the problem of touchscreen input licked. Android users went crazy trying to get into the beta for their gesture-based software keyboard, and tech blogs threw around words like "innovation" and "miracle" like rice at a wedding.

Another day, another beta update from Swype. Today, the company announced a new version that brings a enhances a few features including adding Advanced Language Models for Hindi and Belgian Dutch. The overall tap responsiveness has been improved. The Smart Editor and Word Choice List (in Polaris Office) behaviors have also been refined.

Here's the full change log:

Swype Beta v1.4.9.13905

Advanced Language Models added for Hindi and Belgian Dutch

Responsiveness for tap input improved for all languages

Improved overall Smart Editor behavior and implemented some bug fixes

Fixed a Gingerbread crash that occurred when rotating device into landscape mode

If you're a Swype Beta user, the popular finger-dragging keyboard has received a significant update, to version 1.4.5 today. This new release basically just makes things better: smart editor has been improved, the keyboard launches more quickly in web browsers, advanced language models have been been enhanced, and a handful of smaller fixes and tweaks are in tow.

Swype Beta v1.4.5.12537

Implemented a number of Smart Editor improvements and resolved some compatibility issues

Who knew that keyboards could be so competitive? After SwiftKey released its new Flow feature, and even included the ability to fly through space, Swype had a pressing need to escalate. Well, how's this for handy: now you no longer need to register in order to download the new Swype beta! In times past, Swype's distribution model has been a little cumbersome. Of course, this will only help people who want in on the beta, but it's still a great thing.

Google has really gotten the stock Android keyboard spruced up in recent versions of the OS. Of course, it's still a limited experience lacking in the bells and whistles of some third-party solutions. Speaking of bells and whistles, the new Kii Keyboard has more tweaks and settings than you'll believe.

Kii takes some of the most popular features from the established keyboards. It has swipe input like the Swype keyboard, word prediction like SwitfKey, and a split layout for tablets like you get in several other apps.

I'm going to do my best to make it through this article without making a Portal 2 reference, but this new SwiftKey feature is not making it easy on me. After recently announcing Flow, the Swype-like gesture input method, someone inside SwiftKey HQ thought to themselves "Well, you know, this is great and all, but man, what's with all this raising-my-finger nonsense? So inefficient!" So now the company is demoing Flow Through Space.

A nice perk for Android users is an array of other software keyboards. Don't like stock? Don't sweat it. There are tons of others to choose from. Depending on your typing style, there is probably one to fit your needs. Some users like Swype, which allows you to slide your fingers across the keyboard instead of tapping each letter individually. Or there's SwiftKey, which has the ability to read your mind thanks to its incredibly intuitive prediction engine.

Swype's beta client received a major update this morning, and the popular 3rd party keyboard is now at version 1.3, and this major release brings a host of new features like dictionary sync and backup, themes, "hotwords," even more languages, and a new version of the tablet layout.

Here's the list of all the new features, in detail:

Dictionary Backup & Sync: Swype now backs up and syncs a user’s personal dictionary across any of their mobile devices.

There's no doubt that Swype is one of the most popular and innovative keyboard replacement apps for Android, albeit for a somewhat niche market. One of the quirks of Swype, though, is that it's basically made for one-handed input, and some users just aren't into that. Enter a new keyboard called Keymonk Keyboard which basically takes the Swype method of text input and modifies it for two-handed input. Check it out: